In early March 2023, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) staff member, and youth delegate, Margherita Dall’Occo-Vaccaro and WWDA Member Kelly Cox attended the 67th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) held at the United Nations in New York from the 6th to 17th of March, as delegates on behalf of WWDA.
The annual CSW conference brings together State Parties, non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), and other representatives to discuss gender equality. During the second week of CSW, State Parties negotiate the Agreed Conclusions. This year’s theme was “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. This session of the conference is the first one to be hosted in person post the COVID-19 pandemic and had an estimated 8,000 people attend throughout the two weeks.
For many years, WWDA, alongside other organisations representing people with disability, has engaged in the work of the Australian government and the United Nations on the Beijing Platform for Action, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and past annual sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women.
For CSW67, WWDA sent two delegates who worked together with their diverse skill sets to represent women and gender diverse people with disability, as well as the various issues currently facing women and gender diverse people with disability, both in Australia and internationally. This year, CSW67 had low attendance and representation from women with disability, which meant that Kelly and Margherita’s attendance was particularly important to ensure tangible outcomes for women with disability and to keep other Australian delegates attuned to and supportive of the rights of women, girls and gender diverse people with disability.
Find out more about Margherita and Kelly’s experience at CSW67 in the Post-Event Report.
Missed out on our WWDA events at CSW67? Watch the recordings here.